Airlines losses narrowed in 1Q to $552 million

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NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. airlines charged more in fares and fees and reduced debt as they improved their financial performance in the first quarter.

They still lost money, which is typical for the year's first three months travel slows after the holidays and delays rack up from snow storms. But the deficit was $552 million — or $3.30 per passenger — compared with $1.7 billion in same period in 2012.

The industry's second-quarter results could show a hit tied to federal budget cuts. Looking further out, summer travel should pick up over last year but still trail its pre-recession peak, according to Airlines for America, the industry's lobbying group.

Airlines have been making a concerted effort to get their costs under control, said John Heimlichm, chief economist for the lobbying group, during a media presentation Thursday.

That's a big challenge. Fuel accounts for more than a third of the airlines' costs and is largely out of their control. Airlines were able to lower debt and interest payments, Heimlichm said, but the biggest gains came from increasing airfares and charging more in fees.

As airlines take in more cash — and remain profitable in other quarters — they are investing in new planes, better first class seats, improvements to airport terminals, increased in-flight entertainment and better technology for tracking luggage.

Airlines are likely to take a financial hit to their second-quarter results due to lengthy delays in April caused by furloughs to air traffic controllers.

The Federal Aviation Administration had furloughed controllers for one week as part of a long-standing budget fight between Congress and the White House. About 7,200 flights were estimated to be delayed because of the controller shortage.

Looking ahead to summer, the lobbying group expects 208.7 million people to fly in June, July and August, up from 206.6 million last year but still down from the 2007 peak of 217.6 million.

Planes will again be packed, the group predicts, with 86 to 87 percent of seats filled with paying passengers, about the same as the last four summers.

International travel — with its more expensive tickets — will continue to aid the U.S. airline industry: 27.4 million of this summer's travelers will be coming from outside the country, a record.

The lobbying group used Thursday's media briefing to reiterate it criticism of the Department of Homeland Security for a decision to open a customs and immigration pre-clearance facility in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

The only airline to fly directly from there to the United States is Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways, a rapidly-growing carrier seen as a threat to many Western airlines on their lucrative international routes.

Heimlichm said the U.S. government should be focused instead on dealing with the much larger amount of passengers coming from London, Toronto, Tokyo, Frankfurt and Paris and reducing their wait times.